Life Without Smell
by invisiblemanda
Summary: After a horrible car accident, the Pasta-loving Italian, Feliciano, loses more than he realized. Rated for mild language. Picture was found on Zerochan.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I have a mountain of work to do, all due by Friday and some due before that, but I'm writing fan fiction…. This is an idea that's been vaguely bouncing around in my head for a while, but last night I saw something on Pinterest that inspired me to start writing this. There is some language, but I like to keep the language light. Hope you enjoy!**

Feliciano grabbed his car keys and happily bounced out of his house and into the driveway. He walked over to the driver's side of his car and lovingly ran his hand along the car door. He had been saving money for months to buy himself a ferrari, and now that he had finally bought the one he had been eyeing, he had made it a habit to admire it every time he went somewhere, no matter how short the trip is. Today, however, was going to be a longer trip. He was off of work, and it was a beautiful spring day, perfect for a drive to visit Ludwig. He decided that he would take the long way and enjoy the weather and the wind blowing through his hair. He opened the car door and slid into the driver's seat. Pulling out his sunglasses and putting them on, he started the ignition. Loud music immediately blasted through his radio. He had a habit of never turning it off. After a few more moments of admiring his new car, he shifted gears, backed out of his driveway and sped down the road.

* * *

Lovino burst through the door, happy to be home after another stressful day at work. Judging by the absence of his brother's car, he guessed that Feli wasn't home. His suspicions were confirmed when he spied a note left by his brother.

_Lovino,_

_I went to go spend the day at Ludwig's~! I'm off of work today and tomorrow. Don't know what time I'll be back tonight. I made pasta and it's in the fridge. I'll see you when I get home!_

_Love,_

_Feliciano~_

Lovino sighed. On one hand, he hated that potato bastard and didn't like his brother spending so much time with him. On the other hand, he was looking forward to having some time alone to rest and recharge. Work was more stressful than usual today. He let out a sigh and walked into the living room while sorting through today's mail. The gas and water bills had arrived today. He furrowed his brows as he tried to remember who's turn it was to pay either of them. Well, it was written down on their calendar so he didn't worry when he couldn't remember. Also in the mail came a magazine for Feli and a thick envelope for him. He glanced at the sender to see if it was the one he had been waiting for, and sure enough it was. He was planning on returning to school in the fall and he had requested information from different colleges in the area. This school in particular was one he was interested in. He studied the envelope a little more before placing the stack of mail, along with Feliciano's note, onto the coffee table. He resolved to deal with them later.

He stretched his arms above his head, feeling his back crack in good ways, as he shuffled into the kitchen. His brother was such a good cook. He was, after all, a professional chef who worked at an expensive, high-class restaurant nearby.

Lovino was just about to open the fridge to find out what kind of pasta Feli had made when his phone went off. "Damn it!" he said under his breath as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. The number was not one he recognized. Usually he would've ignored it, but something told him to answer.

"What do you want?" he spat to the innocent person on the other end of the line.

"Am I speaking to Lovino Vargas?" returned a voice after a brief pause.

"Who wants to know?" answered Lovino, not even caring about how rude he was being.

"This is Toris Laurinaitis from St. Lawrence Hospital. I have an urgent matter to discuss with Mr. Vargas."

"You're talking to him."

"Mr. Vargas, we need you to come to the hospital right away. Your brother, Feliciano, has been in a terrible accident."

Lovino paled. Feli had been in an accident? Was he alright? What happened? Are they sure they had the right person? A million questions ran through his mind as he started to panic slightly. He couldn't imagine something horrible happening to his innocent, annoying but sweet little brother!

"…Mr. Vargas?"

Lovino suddenly remembered that he was still on the phone. "I'm coming, bastard!" he yelled before hanging up. He grabbed his car keys and ran to his car before flying down the road toward the hospital. When he got there, he immediately burst through the front doors.

"Where is he?" he shouted. Startled guests and workers all looked at him, but he didn't care. He marched up to the front desk where a young man with brown hair and green eyes was sitting, likely the person who he had talked to on the phone. "I want to see my brother!"

"W-who?" responded the clearly frightened man.

Lovino shook slightly as he tried to regain his composure. Despite how he tried to act, he cared deeply about his brother. "His name is Feliciano Vargas."

"Ah, you must be Lovino" replied the secretary. He turned to his computer screen and quickly typed something. Lovino impatiently tapped his foot as he waited. "Ah. Your brother has just been moved from the ER to the recovery room. I'll page the doctor and he'll take you there and explain what happened."

_ER? Recovery room? Car accident? What the hell happened to my little brother?"_

* * *

The doctor arrived quickly, although to Lovino it seemed to be an eternity. Lovino had been pacing back and forth, trying to calm down, and making the man at the desk very nervous.

"Mr. Vargas?" the doctor asked. Lovino looked up at a man with blonde hair and green eyes. "I am Dr. Zwingli. Come with me." Lovino followed the man down the hall.

"Your brother," began the doctor in a monotone, almost emotionless voice, "was in a car accident. He was speeding, lost control of his car and landed in a ditch. His left arm is broken, and he hit his head on the steering wheel. We fear he may have a concussion." Lovino scowled at the doctor. He said everything so matter-of-factly and didn't even try to spare his feelings. He was annoyed, but deep down he was thankful that the doctor was straightforward.

They stopped outside of a room. "Your brother is in here. You may visit him, but please be quiet. He is still recovering. If you need anything at all, call for one of the nurses." With that, the doctor left him alone standing outside of his brother's room.

Lovino took a deep breath and gently turned the doorknob. All his hopes that this was just a mix up were shattered when he saw his little brother lying in the hospital bed. He had an IV and was hooked up to a machine that monitored his pulse. There was a large gash in his forehead that had been stitched closed, and his left arm was in a cast. Other than that, he looked peaceful. His chest rose and fell to the steady rhythm of his breathing. Lovino walked into the room, closing the door behind him, and sat down next to his brother. He gently stroked Feliciano's hair and whispered to him. "It's ok, Feli. You're going to be just fine."

**A/N: I was thinking of writing more in this chapter, but that seemed like a good place to stop. Also, I had no idea what to name the hospital, so I went with naming it after a saint, since that seems to be popular. St. Lawrence, I believe, is the patron saint of cooks.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow. I got 8 follows after posting the first chapter. 8! After only posting one chapter! You guys are awesome!**

Ludwig sat down with his bowl of mashed potatoes and turned on the TV. He vaguely wondered what Feliciano was doing. It had been a few weeks since he saw him last. Ludwig thought back to when they were roommates in college. In that time, Feliciano had gotten on his last nerve, but he had slowly began to grow fond of the redhead. He had made his life more interesting, and was especially good at giving dating advice. By the time they graduated, they had become best friends. _I should pay him a visit soon _he thought as he flipped through the channels, looking for something interesting to watch. As if on cue, his phone buzzed on the coffee table. Ludwig looked at the name and was startled to see that it was Feliciano calling. "Hello?" he answered.

"Bastard! I need to talk to you! Pronto!"

Ludwig was shocked for a second but quickly understood. "Lovino, why are you using Feli's phone?"

"Are you deaf? I need to talk to you! I don't have your damn phone number, only Feli does."

Ludwig started to worry. Lovino NEVER called him unless it was an emergency. "What happened? Is everything alright?"

"What do you mean is everything alright? Of course everything's not alright! Why the hell would I be calling you if everything was alright? Is your damn brain made out of potatoes or something, bastard?"

Ludwig rubbed his forehead. Talking to Lovino always gave him a headache. "Please, calm down. What's going on?"

"Feli. It's Feli. You're a damn bastard. He was in a car accident because you're a bastard."

"How is it my fault that Feli-" Suddenly, Ludwig realized what Lovino had said. "Wait, did you say that Feli was in an accident? Is he alright?"

"Weren't you listening idiot? Yes that's what I said! And how do you think he's doing? He hasn't woken up yet." Lovino's voice faltered a bit, but he didn't want to show weakness to Ludwig. "It's your fault! He was on his way to visit you when… when it happened."

Ludwig shook slightly. Feli was in a coma? He had always worried that the way Feli drove he'd eventually hurt himself, but that didn't mean that he was prepared for it to happen.

"Hey! Bastard! Are you still there or did you and your brother finally decide to return to Germany?"

Ludwig shook his head to clear his mind. "I'm here, I'm here. Where is he? What hospital is he in?"

Lovino hesitated for a long time. On the one hand, he hated Ludwig. On the other hand, Ludwig was close to his little brother. He deserved to know. More than that, he knew that it would make Feli happy to know he visited. He liked it when his brother was happy. Finally, he answered. "Tch. He's in St. Lawrence. Don't bother coming now, though. They kicked me out when visiting hours ended." And with that, he hung up the phone.

* * *

Lovino walked down the sidewalk after parking his car around the corner. It was early in the morning and he had taken a personal day at work so he could be with his brother. He was on the way to the hospital, but he had decided to take a small detour. He walked into a small shop that specialized in flowers and herbs, but also had some vegetables, seeds, and various other things of that sort. There was no one at the counter so he rang the bell sitting there.

"One minute" came a voice from the back room.

"Hurry up, bastard!" was Lovino's response.

"Lovi? Is that you?" returned the voice. Lovino groaned. Shortly after, a good looking man with tanned skin, dark brown hair and green eyes showed up. "Hola Lovi!" he shouted as he trapped the Italian in a hug. "I haven't seen you in so long! Is that why you came here today? To see me? Have you been missing me? Well, who wouldn't! Hahaha! Oh, while you're here you should see my tomatoes! I tried planting them in a different kind of soil and they're doing so well!"

"TONI!" Lovino shouted, catching the other man's attention. "I'm in a hurry. I need some flowers."

"Aw, so you didn't come here to see me? Well, that's too bad. Maybe next time, right?" Antonio rambled on as he gathered what he needed. "So who are the flowers for? Is there a girl? I bet there's a girl. Do I know her? What are you going to do on your date?"

Lovino groaned again. He and Toni were pretty close, but sometimes Toni could be annoying. Especially when he drank coffee. He must've had some this morning. "Toni. They're actually for Feli."

Antonio looked at him shocked. "You're getting flowers for your brother? That seems a little strange, but it's still nice. What's the occasion? Did he get a promotion or something?"

Lovino looked away. "No. Actually, he's… he's in the hospital. He was in a bad car accident. I thought that it would help to brighten up the room a little. Feliciano always loved flowers."

Antonio looked at Lovino who was trying to hide how upset he was. He dropped what he was doing and ran over to give him another hug.

"Get off of me, bastard!"

"I'm so sorry! It's going to be alright. He'll be fine."

"I mean it! Get off!" Lovino squirmed his way out of Antonio's grasp. "Just give me the damn flowers."

Antonio thought for a second. "I have just the thing!" He set to work collecting flowers. He also grabbed a nice looking vase for Lovino to put the flowers in when he arrived at the hospital.

"Here!" he said, handing the newly formed bouquet over to Lovino. "The Yarrows represent healing, the White Heathers represent protection, and the Cornflowers are his favorite. I also put some Thyme in there which represents strength and courage."

Lovino accepted the bouquet and smelled them. _They smell really nice together_ he thought to himself. "How much?" he asked.

Antonio rubbed the back of his neck and looked down. "I won't charge you for these. I hope Feli gets better soon" he said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.

Lovino looked back up at his friend. "Grazie" he mumbled.

Antonio let out a small chuckle. "Don't mention it! Just keep me updated on Feli's condition, ok?"

* * *

Lovino slowly entered his brother's room, hoping to find Feliciano awake. After observing him overnight, the doctors had decided that he was strong enough to be moved into a regular room. He no longer had the heart monitor, but still had the IV. Unfortunately, he still hadn't woken up. For that reason, he was given a single room so he wouldn't be given a roommate.

Lovino walked over to the table and placed the vase down. He shoved the flowers inside and tried to rearrange them. That was one of the many things that his brother was better at than he was. After struggling with the flowers for a few minutes, he gave up. He didn't realize that it was only in his mind that they looked bad.

He walked over to the chair next to the bed and sat down. He moved a stray strand of hair away from his brother's face and watched for any sign of him waking up.

When Feliciano didn't wake up, Lovino sighed and sat in a nearby chair. He grabbed his brother's hand and gently rubbed circles in it with his thumbs, whispering to him in Italian. "Please be ok, Feli. Please wake up soon."

* * *

Ludwig entered the flower shop to find Antonio chatting with an asian man with long brown hair. As soon as Antonio saw him, he waved him over.

"Hey Ludwig! Come here, I want you to meet someone!" Ludwig walked over to the two men. "Ludwig, this is Wang Yao. He's a doctor who specializes in natural medication, and he's one of my best customers." Yao bowed before shaking Ludwig's hand. "Yao, this is Ludwig. He's the accountant who helps me with my taxes. He's also the younger brother of a good friend of mine." With that, Antonio disappeared into the back room.

Ludwig turned to Yao. "Natural medicine, you say? What is that?"

"Yes. My office is located down the road on the same side." He pulled out a business card and handed it to Ludwig. "My practice firmly believes in the use of natural things, herbs and spices and such, as treatment for various medical conditions. We believe that it's healthier than filling your body with the manufactured medication that is so common. Also, we focus on healing and not just treating the symptoms."

Ludwig thanked him and placed the card in his wallet before pulling out his own. "This is the accounting firm that I work for. If you ever need help with your finances or anything, feel free to drop by."

"Thank you" replied Yao, bowing again. Just then, Antonio reappeared carrying a large box.

"Here's your order!" Antonio rang up the price, which Yao paid, and handed the box over along with the change. Yao turned to leave.

"It was nice to meet you, Mr. Ludwig."

Ludwig nodded his head. "Same to you."

After Yao had left, Antonio turned to Ludwig.

"I thought you might be coming by today. Lovino was here earlier and he told me the news about Feli."

Ludwig sighed. "Did he say anything about his condition?"

"No, all he said was that he was in the hospital. He was on his way there himself, actually. Why, how is he?"

Ludwig let out an even heavier sigh. "Last I heard, he was in a coma."

Antonio's eyes widened. "That's horrible! Not precious little Feli!"

The German nodded. "Yes. He was in a car accident and hit his head pretty hard. He may have a concussion."

Antonio let out a sad sigh. "I'll come visit him after I close up shop tonight. Anyway, what kind of flowers did you want?"

Ludwig bit his lip as he thought. He didn't know that much about flowers. "You pick something."

Antonio excitedly ran over to the flowers and started to cut and arrange them. He knew just what to get. Soon enough, he presented the bouquet to Ludwig. "Here! It's Calendula and Cornflower. The Calendula represents joy and the Cornflower is his favorite. Don't they look great together? I put Cornflower in Lovino's bouquet this morning too. I'm sure Feli will be excited to see it!"

Ludwig accepted the flowers as well as the vase. "Yeah, I guess it's pretty" he said awkwardly. "How much?"

"Since it's for Feli, it's free."

Ludwig gave Antonio a funny look. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I won't lose too much money on it, so don't worry."

Ludwig turned to leave. "Danke" he called before leaving.

* * *

Ludwig softly knocked on the door before opening it. He looked over and saw the flowers on the table. The next thing he noticed was Lovino. He was fast asleep, seated in the chair with his head resting on the bed. He held onto Feli's hand with his own. Ludwig looked over at Feli. He didn't appear to have had any changes in his condition. His chest still rose and fell to a steady rhythm.

Ludwig put the flowers in the vase and tried to arrange them. He didn't have a knack for anything artistic like the two Italians did, so he gave up very quickly. He walked around to the other side of Feli's bed, being very careful not to awake and anger Lovino. There was another chair on that side of the room, so he sat down and held onto the cast that was around Feliciano's other arm. He sat in silence for a while as the occasional nurse wandered in to check on Feli's condition.

**A/N: Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to write a pissed off Lovino while keeping my rule of only using light profanity? . Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) It was longer this time. Almost twice as long O.O But I wanted to get it up to a certain point to set up for the next chapter, as well as future chapters. As for the flowers, I spent way too much time looking up different flower meanings online. It seemed like different sources gave different meanings for some of them. If they're incorrect, I apologize. I don't really know the meanings behind, well, any flowers. I also don't know anything about running a flower shop, so I just made that part up.**


	3. Chapter 3

The following day passed in a very similar way. Ludwig had to return to work, but Lovino took the day off again to be with his little brother as well as deal with the car. Antonio closed his shop early so he could stay with Lovino until visiting hours ended. The next day was Friday, which began in much the same manner. Lovino had taken to reading a book when he was alone with Feli, looking up frequently to check on his unchanging condition. He sat in the chair holding his brother's hand, only letting go to turn a page.

He had just went back to his book after checking on his brother again when he thought he heard a soft moan. He looked up from his book and studied his little brother. Then, he heard another very soft moan, this one slightly longer. He quickly set the book down and leaned in to watch his brother. Feli's eyes twitched for some time before they slowly opened. His pupils were dilated and he looked around with a confused expression, but he was awake.

"Feli!" Lovino cried. "You're awake!" Tears of joy welled in his eyes as he tightly gripped his brother's hand.

Feli blinked a few times before slowly turning his head in the direction of his brother's voice. He tried to speak, but it only came out as a low moan. He waited a moment and tried again.

"L-Lovino?" His voice was quiet and shaky, and that was all he had the energy to say.

Lovino pulled his brother into a gentle embrace. He wanted to hug him tightly, to hold him close almost squeezing him, but he refrained. His delicate little brother was clearly still too weak to be able to handle that. "I'm here! I'm here!" he whispered into Feli's ear as he gently stroked his brother's hair.

Feli groaned slightly as he tried to gather the strength to say another word.

"W-What…"

"You were in a car accident. You've been in a coma for three days." Feliciano blinked a few times. He looked as though he was trying to focus his eyes but couldn't. Lovino noticed and grew worried. He reached over and pressed the call nurse button.

Feliciano struggled to see what his brother was doing. "What…"

"I'm calling the nurse" Lovino stated.

Feliciano blinked some more. He looked around, clearly confused. Lovino held his brother's hand as they waited. It wasn't long before a nurse arrived.

"What's the matter?"

"It's Feli. He's awake, but he's acting strange. He seems to be very confused."

The nurse studied Feliciano for a moment. "That sounds like a concussion. I'll go page the doctor" she said before leaving.

Feli looked over at his brother. "Who…"

"That was the nurse. She's going to get the doctor. You're going to be fine, just rest and don't try to talk."

Feli furrowed his brows as he listened intently to what his brother said. After a moment he slowly nodded in understanding and let his eyes close.

It was some time before Dr. Zwingli arrived. "Help me get him to a sitting position" he said to the nurse following him as soon as he entered the room. Lovino stood up immediately to help as well. After a few moments, Feliciano was in a sitting position surrounded by the doctor, the nurse, and his brother. The doctor pulled out a small flashlight.

"This is going to be bright, but I need you to look straight ahead." Feliciano nodded in agreement and the doctor clicked on the flashlight. Feli winced slightly at the sudden bright light, but he stared forward as instructed. Dr. Zwingli studied one eye first then the other. Finally he clicked off the flashlight and scribbled something on his clipboard. Feli blinked as the light was bright and he was seeing spots.

"Alright, I'm going to need you to answer a few questions." Feli nodded slowly. He was starting to get worn out just from sitting up.

"Alright. First, what is your name? Do you remember your name?" Lovino grunted in disdain but Feliciano struggled to answer.

"F… Feliciano."

The doctor nodded before asking another question. "When is your birthday?"

Lovino scoffed but was surprised when Feli didn't answer as quickly as he answered the first question. Feli furrowed his brows as he thought. "I… I… I don't remember."

Lovino's eyes widened at his brother's response. Dr. Zwingli just frowned as he took more notes. Finally, he turned to Lovino. "Your brother has a concussion. It may take him a while to recover. He needs plenty of rest. It will take a while for his memory to fully return, and he will be confused in that time, but everything should return to normal eventually. Do either of you have any questions?" Lovino sighed and they both shook their heads. "Very well," the doctor replied. "I'll be on my way then. If you need anything or have any concerns, don't be afraid to call a nurse." And with that, he and the nurse left.

As soon as they were gone, Lovino turned to his brother. "How are you feeling?"

"….tired."

"Do you… want to lay down?" Feliciano nodded and Lovino helped him back into a laying position. Once Feli was comfortably situated, Lovino shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how to help his brother.

"Do you… want to sleep?" Feli shook his head. Lovino sighed, trying to not allow himself to get upset. It wasn't his brother's fault he didn't know how to help. For his brother's sake, he would at least _try_ to not take out his frustrations on others, for once. "Well, what do you want?"

"…What happened? Car accident?"

Lovino studied Feli for a moment before answering. "Well, what do you remember?"

Feli thought hard for a while. Slowly, he responded. "I… I remember… I got home from work… I was off the next day… I thought it… it'd be fun to visit Ludwig… Then I went to sleep… That's all I… remember…"

Lovino sighed and began to explain what happened. "You did go to Ludwig's, or at least you started to. You lost control of your car and wound up in a ditch. Hit your head pretty hard and broke your arm."

Feli blinked. "Oh."

Lovino hesitantly grabbed his brother's hand. After a moment he felt a soft squeeze.

"Roma?" Lovino smiled slightly as he remembered when Feli gave him that nickname many many years ago when they were children.

"What?"

"Roma… I'm scared…"

Lovino's smile faded and was replaced with a look of concern. "Why are you scared?"

Feli hesitated. "It's just… I think… I hit my head pretty hard."

"It's alright. You're going to be fine. The doctor said you'll make a full recovery. It'll just take time." Lovino tried in vain to comfort his brother.

"But… I can't remember anything… Roma, when's my birthday?"

Lovino sighed. "It's March 17th."

"Oh. Thanks."

Lovino sat with his brother for a long while. He thought Feli had fallen asleep when he heard his voice again.

"Roma?"

"What is it?"

"Will you… tell me a story… like you used to when we were little?"

"What story do you want me to tell?"

"It doesn't matter. You choose."

Lovino thought for a minute. "Alright, I got one… There once was a fish who lived in the ocean. His name was Nemo…"

* * *

Antonio wandered down the hall. He wondered briefly if any of his customers would get angry because he closed early three days in a row. He had left a notice next to the regular hours sign explaining to customers that he had a family emergency, so he thought they'd be understanding. He practically was family - he had known the Vargas brothers since they were all in diapers together. He sighed. He wished he could afford to hire someone to help him. He really could use the help.

As he approached the room, he vaguely thought he could hear Lovino's voice but he didn't think anything of it. He slowly twisted the doorknob, trying to be as quiet as possible so as to not disturb Feli. When he saw that he was awake, Antonio wasted no time running over and pulling his friend into a tight hug.

"Feli! You're awake! This is wonderful!" he cried.

Feli looked up with a confused look. "Oh! You're… um…"

Antonio's smile faded. He held a pained expression for a moment before looking worried. "You… don't remember me? You know me! You've known me all your life!"

A guilty expression crossed his face. He looked over to his brother for help, but Lovino was too shocked to be of any help. "I know your face. And your name. It's… Uh… A… Antonio?"

Antonio smiled in relief and nodded. "Yes, I'm Antonio."

Feli weakly smiled back at him. "I'm sorry I couldn't remember you right away." Antonio pulled him into another hug, this one more gentle and comforting.

"It's not your fault, Feli" Lovino stated simply. "The doctor said it'll take time for your memories to completely return. We just have to be patient." He spoke matter-of-factly, but there was a hint of sadness in his voice that only those who knew him best would be able to notice.

Antonio turned to Lovino. "What else did the doctor say?"

Lovino sighed. "He has a pretty severe concussion. He needs to get plenty of rest so he can recover." Almost as if to prove what Lovino said, Feli yawned. The other two turned to face him, concerned.

"Are you feeling alright, Feli?" Lovino asked.

Feli paused for a moment. "I'm alright… I'm just… getting tired."

"Do you want us to be quiet so you can rest?"

"No!" Feli answered immediately. "I like… hearing you talk… It lets me know… that I'm not… alone."

Lovino looked at his brother with a caring expression on his face. "You're not alone. Toni and I are right here."

Feli nodded and let out a sigh. "…Roma?" he timidly asked.

"What?"

"Will you… Will you hold my hand until… I fall asleep?"

"Of course, Feli!" he said while grabbing his brother's hand.

Meanwhile, Antonio stood back and just watched, somewhat awkwardly. Feli was the only person that Lovino would act so sweetly to. The way they were so close and cared so much about each other never failed to touch his heart. In fact, it actually made him wish he had such a close relationship like that himself.

Feli drifted off to sleep to the sounds of Antonio and Lovino making conversation.

**A/N: Wow I'm updating a lot! I don't usually update this much! I really should get back to my other stories… Anyway, the Italy brothers' birthday is exactly a week before mine :D How exciting :) Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter :D Now I gotta go study for finals… ugh!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm not dead! Don't worry! I had finals, then I was still busy, then I was in Atlanta for a few days. But I'm back with a new chapter!**

The first few days after Feli woke up were long for everyone except Feli. He spent most of his days sleeping and his improvement was slow. When he was awake, he would mostly listen to people talk or Lovino telling him stories. Antonio returned to his normal work schedule, but he came to visit often. Feli was also visited by several other people, including his boss Francis, Ludwig, and his brother Gilbert. Lovino spent most of his time with Feli, but he also spent plenty of time on the phone with their insurance company as well as the dealership where they bought the car, who had an excellent on-site body shop, trying to get everything in motion to get his brother's car repaired. Antonio helped him out as much as he could.

Eventually it was Tuesday - exactly one week since the accident. Lovinio was telling Feli another story when Antonio showed up with two bouquets of flowers.

"What's with the flowers?" Lovino asked.

"They're to replace the withered ones in the vase. I probably should've already replaced them by now."

Feliciano looked up. "There are flowers in here?" he asked.

Both Antonio and Lovino looked at him. "You mean you haven't noticed? They're starting to get old and smell bad," responded Lovino.

Feliciano just shrugged. He sat up, with the help of his brother, and watched as Antonio threw away the old flowers, replaced the water, and put the new bouquets in, humming happily as he worked.

A few more days passed. Soon, Feliciano was strong enough to be able to sit up for long periods of time. Lovino started to roll Feli, along with his IV, around the hospital in a wheelchair. His room was starting to feel cramped as he steadily regained his strength. His mind was still fuzzy from time to time and he had frequent headaches as well as some vision problems, but he had regained most of his memory. Soon it was Thursday.

The doctor came and looked Feli over. He was much better and could even stand up for longer periods of time before he got too dizzy, so the doctor said that Feli could leave the next day.

When the following day rolled around, Feliciano was anxious to leave the hospital. They checked out of the hospital, and were soon on the way home. Feliciano was a little nervous to get into the car, but he was more excited to get home than he was scared. So he, with the help of his brother, climbed into the car and they quickly took off away from the hospital.

Feliciano stared out the window at the scenery as it whipped past him. It seemed like so long since he had been outside. After a while, they turned onto their road. Feli grew more and more excited as he watched his neighbors' houses pass by, marking that they were quickly approaching their house. Soon enough, Lovino pulled into the driveway and parked the car. He quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and exited the vehicle. Feliciano stayed where he was - he was still unable to get out of the car without his brother's help.

As Lovino circled around the back of the car, he pulled out his phone and sent a quick text. Then, he opened up Feli's door and helped him out of the car. Feli held on to his brother for support as Lovino wrapped his arm around Feli's waist. Together, they wobbled up the few steps and into the house. Once they were through the door, they turned toward the living room. It was in that moment that the lights suddenly turned on revealing several people, all yelling "Welcome Home, Feli!"

Feli's eyes teared up and he turned to hug his brother as tightly as he could. "Oh Roma, did you do this just for me? I'm so happy!"

Lovino rolled his eyes and tried to pry his brother off of him. "It was Antonio's idea. He did all of the work. I just… helped plan. But only a little. Now get off of me!"

Feli let go of his brother and turned to look at everyone in the room. Antonio was, of course there, and so was Ludwig and his brother Gilbert, one of Antonio's closest friends. Feli's boss, and Antonio's other closest friend, Francis, was there as well. Even the Vargas brothers' step-uncle, Roderich, and his wife, Elizabeta, had traveled two hours to be there. They were the only family the brothers had in the states after their mom and stepfather moved back to Italy. Their biological father died when they were infants, and their mother remarried an Austrian man, whose younger brother was Roderich.

It was a small gathering of only their closest friends and family, but it was still enjoyable. Feli wouldn't have been able to handle a larger party anyway.

"So!" the albino named Gilbert loudly proclaimed as he slung an arm around the younger Italian. Lovino glared at him but didn't say anything. "How's my little Feli doing?"

"I'm doing well. A-and… Sorry about the car…" Feli answered, his voice trailing off at the end.

Gilbert slapped his hand to his chest. "I was heartbroken when I saw it! And after all that trouble I went through to get you a good deal! Who knows how long it'll be, or if it can be repaired at all!" A few tears started forming in Feli's eyes. Lovino was about to yell at Gilbert when Antonio spoke first.

"But Gil, when I talked to you, you told me that it wasn't that badly damaged after all and that with your best guys working on it it'll be done in no time!"

Gilbert shot a glance over to Antonio. "Kesesesesese! I was just teasing little Feli!"

Feli sniffled slightly and looked up at Gilbert. "R-really?"

Gilbert looked down at Feli and noticed for the first time that he was actually upset. "Uh… Ja. Really" he said with just a slight hint of guilt in his voice. "So," he quickly changed the subject. "Are you hungry? There's plenty of food."

Feli nodded and started to follow him into the dining room where the food was set up. "Feli!" called a French accent. Feli looked to the voice and saw Francis, his boss.

"Oh, hi Francis!" he said. "I'm sorry, but I may not be able to return to work for a while…"

Francis put a caring hand on his employee's shoulder. "It's alright, Feli. You need to take the time to heal. A hot kitchen is not the place for you right now. We'll manage without you."

Feli looked at Francis and smiled a big smile. "Thank you!"

Francis returned the smile. "Really, it's no problem. Now go eat something. I cooked all of this food!"

Feli turned back to Gil who was patiently waiting for him to finish his conversation. "You have a very understanding boss" he chuckled.

Feli smiled. "Yes, I do. He's wonderful to me."

They wandered through the house and into the kitchen where there was a large spread on the bar, much larger than what was needed for the amount of people there. There were a few of Feli's favorite dishes, Spaghetti and Pizza, as well as a wide array of finger food.

"Francis really can't help himself. When he starts cooking, he can't stop" said Gilbert with a smile. Feli grabbed a plate and put a small amount of spaghetti, a slice of pizza, and a little bit of finger food. He was quite hungry, but he didn't have the stomach to eat nearly as much as he usually does. He then made his way back to the living room.

"Feliciano!" he heard someone call from the couch. "Come sit with us."

Feli walked over and sat between Roderich and Elizabeta. "So, how are you feeling?" Roderich asked.

"Much better, thank you." Feli responded. He poked at his food with his fork. Both he and his brother were somewhat uncomfortable around their step-dad and step-uncle. Both of them were always so proper and polite, which was the complete opposite of what they were used to.

Elizabeta put her arm around Feliciano's shoulders. "If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call us!" she said. "We're only two hours away. It's not that hard for us to get here."

"Thank you" Feli responded politely.

"Hey" Roderich said. Feli turned to face him. "We're family now. You don't have to be so polite."

Feli just nodded and started to slowly eat his food. Everything tasted… off. He figured that it was just because he was still recovering and shrugged it off.

"What he means to say is that you don't have to act differently around us, especially in your own house. We want you to be comfortable."

Feli smiled a genuine smile and nodded. "Thanks, Eliza." Both Elizabeta and Roderich smiled kindly.

The party continued in much the same way. Eventually, everyone left one by one. Elizabeta and Roderich were the only ones to stay behind because, as Feli found out later, they had been planning with Lovino to stay for a few days to help out in any way they can. They began cleaning up as Romano helped Feliciano get to bed before setting up to sleep on his couch, leaving Roderich and Elizabeta to sleep in his bed. It wasn't long before everyone in the house was fast asleep. They all had a tiring day.

**A/N: From what I understand, technically cut flowers don't last that long and would be withered long before a week has passed, but I'm bending the rules of Biology a little :P Again, I don't know much about flowers so I'm just kind of going on what I info I can find in a quick Google search. I feel like I rushed Feli's recovery a little, but I didn't want to spend too much time dwelling on it. Also, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have been in the hospital quite that long…. oh well. I actually had him in there longer, but I went back and changed it. And, yes, I made Gilbert a car salesman XD I wanted to have him somehow working with cars, but I didn't want to go with the usual mechanic.**

**So, as I mentioned in the Author's Notes above, I was in Atlanta recently. I was at the Passion 2013 conference. It was AMAZING. If you were there, you should send me a message and we can be friends :) (Especially if you were in the pink group (15) :P ) I have 2 fanfics planned that were inspired by that conference. One is a one shot, and the other will be a multi-chapter story. (I must be crazy trying to write 4 multi-chapter stories on top of school (when it's back in session) and my personal life….) So, watch for those coming up :D**


	5. Chapter 5

Hi everyone! I'm sorry for not updating lately. I want to thank anyone/everyone who's following this story and reassure you that I haven't abandoned it or forgotten about it. I have been really, insanely busy with school and stuff, and haven't had the time, energy, or motivation to write lately.

So that brings me to an announcement, of sorts: I am making this an official hiatus. I will not be updating this or any other story until mid-May. I really need to focus on my school work, but I wanted to post this message so that everyone's aware. I'll still be around to talk to people and read other stories, but I won't be making any actual updates on my stories until this semester is over.

(When I finally update this story, I'll delete this message/chapter)

Thanks for understanding!


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